Syllabus

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Course Syllabus


Audience

This workshop is intended for the middle school English Language Arts teacher within the K-8 district.

Course Description

This workshop is created for a total of eight days with each day of training lasting four hours. As participants progress through the workshop's eight days, middle school English Language Arts teachers within the district will be able to work with various collaborative technologies that can be transferred directly into his or her the classroom. Participants will engage in highly interactive activities in addition to developing materials that are reflective of deep critical thinking, collaboration, and 21st Century skills for student use.

Prerequisites

Participants of the workshop should have a basic knowledge and operation of the following software applications (Each workshop will quickly review basic operations, but the workshops will focus on "how" the tools can be utilized to transform the middle school English Language Arts curriculum with technology integration):
  • Google Apps:
    • Docs
    • Presentations
    • Wikis
    • Drawing, Picasa, and Picnik
    • Blogger (Google Reader, RSS, and Gadgets)
    • Glogster
  • Wikispaces
    • Basic HTML
  • Bubbl.us
  • Glogster

Finally, some basic knowledge of Problem Based Learning is necessary throughout the entire workshop, but, concepts will be reviewed as various software applications are explored in the workshop.

Materials Needed

The following materials will be needed for the workshop:
  • District issued MacBook with wall adaptor to keep the "juice" flowing.
  • Access to district issued Google Apps accounts.
  • Access to the Internet (Wi-Fi will be accessible from workshop location).
  • An open-mind, a sense of humor, and a smile.

Workshop Goals and Objectives

By the end of the workshop participants will be able to:

  1. Become increasingly proficient of various Web 2.0 tools that can be utilized within the middle school English Language Arts classroom.
  2. Create various technology integrated lessons and activities that can be transferred into the classroom for student use.
  3. Recognize, understand, and apply various ways that Collaborative Web 2.0 tools can transform the middle school English Language Arts curriculum.
  4. Develop a deep understanding of Problem-Based Learning.
  5. Create a Problem-Based Learning experience that utilizes Collaborative Web 2.0 tools in the classroom for student use.
  6. Utilize the LoTi Scale to aid in development technology rich lessons using various Web 2.0 tools within the middle school English Language classroom.

Schedule and Outline

(*Each day is based upon a four hour schedule.)

Day 1: Google Docs for Writing, Collaboration, and Publishing

  1. Workshop introduction and welcome.
  2. Login and access district issued Google Docs accounts.
  3. Quick review of various functions within Google Docs.
  4. Portfolio Activity and Discussion
  5. Revising and Editing Activity (Sharing, Publish)
  6. Planning time to create a Google Doc activity for student use.
  7. Self and Professional Development Evaluation

Day 2: Google Docs: Presentations for Writing, Collaboration, and Publishing

  1. Lingering Q/A Session from Day 1.
  2. Some quick organization review within Google Docs (Set up folders, etc.)
  3. Quick review of various functions within Google Docs: Presentations.
  4. Collaborative Activity: What's the point of presentations?
  5. Revising and Editing Activity (Sharing, Publish)
  6. Collaborative Activity: Presentations...How do they fit (Share, Publish, Revise Edit)?
  7. Planning time to create a Google Presentation for student use.
  8. Self and Professional Development Evaluation.

Day 3: Images + Drawing = Writing Collaboration (Google Drawing, Picasa, and Picnik)

  1. Lingering Q/A Session from Day 2.
  2. Quick review of various functions within Google Drawing, Picasa, and Picnik.
  3. Google Doc Activity: Images and Drawing in ELA.
  4. Pictures, Storyboarding, Plot Development, Oh My.
  5. Collaborative Activity: A story without words.
  6. Collaborative Activity: Let's compose.
  7. Planning time to create an image or drawing technology rich lesson for student use.
  8. Self and Professional Development Evaluation.

Day 4: Blogs to Write, Discuss, Reflect, and Collaborate (Blogger)

  1. Lingering Q/A Session from Day 3.
  2. Quick review of functions within Blogger.
  3. Individual Activity: How, Why, and Who Cares?
  4. Collaborative Activity: The Three Little Pigs
  5. Individual Activity: Create and setup classroom Blog.
  6. Planning time to create a Blogger activity for student use.
  7. Planning time to create Parent/Guardian and student activity for student use using Blogger.
  8. Self and Professional Development Evaluation.

Day 5: Hawaiian for "Quick" (Wikis)

  1. Lingering Q/A Session from Day 4.
  2. Quick review of functions within Wikispaces (View: Wikis in Plain English)
  3. Discussion Activity: Coffee Talk.
  4. Wikis and the Writing Process
  5. Individual and Collaborative Activity: (A Walk home...History, Revising, Editing, PQP).
  6. Collaborative Activity: (Little Red Riding Hood)
  7. Planning time to create a Wikispace and writing or literature activity for student use.
  8. Self and Professional Development Evaluation.

Day 6: A Bubbl.us not Bubble: Using Organizational Tools

  1. Lingering Q/A Session from Day 5.
  2. Quick review of functions within Bubbl.us
  3. Collaborative Activity: Wikipedia a source for research?
  4. Collaborative Activity: Areas of ELA and Organizational Tools (Embed into Wiki)
  5. Collaborative Activity: (Plot)
  6. Planning time to create a Bubbl.us activity for student use.
  7. Self and Professional Development Evaluation.

Day 7: Using Glogster in the Middle School ELA Classroom

  1. Lingering Q/A Session from Day 6.
  2. Quick review of functions within Glogster.
  3. Collaborative Activity: (Theme: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry; Embed into Wiki).
  4. Collaborative Activity: (Writing: A Scrapbook of Me; Embed into WIki).
  5. Planning time to create a Glogster activity for student use.
  6. Self and Professional Development Evaluation.

Day 8: Problem-Based Learning Review and Planning

  1. Lingering Q/A Session from Day 7.
  2. Review elements of Problem-Based Learning: The Question...
  3. Review New Bloom's Taxonomy and the LoTi Scale
  4. Planning time to create a PBL that encompasses middle school English Language Arts curriculum and three of the Web 2.0 technologies from the workshop (Trainer will be able to work one-on-one with participants during this time to aid in successful development of PBL).
  5. Self and Professional Development Evaluation for Entire Eight Day Workshop.